Automatic fuse-block.



G. 0. PROWSE.

AUTOMATIC FUSE BLOCK. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 25,1907.

91 3,9 13. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

um/Mb;

6247-) d fi'azase CHARLES o. rnowssfor HOf'KI NSVILLE KENTUCKY.

'. no'roirxrrc Fuss-noes.

No. 913,913. a

I Specification of Lettersfat erit. Application filed. September 26,1807. Serial 'No. 394,582.

To all whom ttmay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. PRowsE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hopkinsville, in the county of Christian and State ofKentucky,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic F use-Blocks, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an im rovement in an automatic fuse block andlightning arrester, and the object of the invention is the provision ofa device of this character, particularly ada ted for use at subscribersstations on telep hone lines and the like, employing a plurality offuses and so constructed whereby when the circuit has been broken by anexcessive current blowin one of the fuses, said circuit will beautomatlcally and instanfca'neOusly restored through'another of saiduses.

A further object of the invention is the provision in ya device of thischaracter, of means for grounding the excessive current after theburning of one of the fuses and before the current is remade through thenext successive fuse.

A further object of the invention is the 'provision of a' device of thischaracter which will protect both the lead and return wires of theinstrument from excessive currents. A further object of the invention isthe provision in a device of this character, of means for protecting theinstrument from ink. jury from excessive currents which for any reasonfail to blow or rupture the fuse.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detaileddescription hereinafter when read in connection with the. accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof,v wherein a referable embodiment of my,invention is s own and wherein like characters of reference refer tosimilar parts in the several views.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one side of 'myimproved automatic fuse block and lightning arrester. Fig. 2 is asimilar view, one side of the casing being removed. Fig. 3 is a top planview, the casing being shown in elevation. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I are detailviews, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modified form showing the mannerof making the.line connection with the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents a block ofsubstanany suitable, construction to tially rectangular formation, whichis formed of any suitable non-conducting materialand is ada ted to besecured to swan or other s'uitab e'support by brackets of any suitableconstruction projecting from: one edge thereof. The block A is providedon op osite sides and adjacent opposite edges t ereof with grooves a,which are preferably. T- shaped in. cross-section and which extendsubstantially the full length of said block.

B represents a' pluralit of pivotally supported contact members ormed ofconduct ing material, which are arranged in verticalseries on both sidesof the block A adjacent the grooves a therein. The contact members Barepivoted on suitable studs carried by the i v Patented lbbi block A andinterposed between each of said contact members and said block is aspring washer b, which serves to hold the contact member in any positionto which it may be moved. The contact members B are each, provided witha p'rojecting arm b which normally occupies a substantia horizontalposition and projects fora sligld the grooves a in the block A, theprojecting end ofsaid arm being provided with a corrcave contact ortion12 which is preferably I tipped with p atinum so as .to insure a goodRigidly secured to the mem connection. bers B and extending re'arwardlytherefrorii are a lurality of spring arms B, which are formed ofconductin material and are to vided at the freeen s thereof with stu sof- 'ermit the at tachrhent of fuses thereto. Eihcured to o posite facesof block A are a plurality of stu s ,or pins b which are positionedadjacent the pivotal points of the contact members B and which serve asstops to limit the downward movement of the. spring arms B, said armsbeing maintained in substantially horizontal positions when in contactwithsaid stops.

Block A is provided on the op osite aces thereof and a jacent opposite eges thereof with longitudinally extending channels with- 100 t distanceinto in which are seated metallic strips 0 of conducting material, whichstrips are connected in any suitable manner to the ground.Cominunicating with the channels in which are seated the metallic strips0 are a plurality of horizontally arranged recesses which extend to theedges of the block, there being one such recess provided for each of theContact members B. Removably secured in e'aeh horizontally disposedrecess are a pair of 3 superposed carbon plates 1) D between which isarranged a layer of mica. The carbon plates are held in position withinthe recesses y means of leaf s rings D"which are secured to the block A,t e free ends of said springs" groups, one on each side of the block A.The

intermediate ortions of the fuses E are looped about t e studs 11carried by the leaf springs D, while the ends of each group of fuses aresecured respectively to the studs means 0 ametallic stri to and extendsacross t e top of said block, 7

carried by the spring arms B, and to metal stri s F of conductingmaterial secured to the%l00k A, there being two such strips pro vided,one on each side of the block. From one of the strips F, a wire F leadsto the telephone or other instrument, while to the other strip F isconnected the return wire F leading from the telephone or otherinstrument. in securing the fuses E to the block, the same are drawntaut so as to draw the spring arms B into contact with the studs 6 andplace said arms under tension.

Secured to the. edges of the block A and extending longitudinallythereof are two metal strips of conducting material Gr, each of which isprovided along one edge, thereof with a plurality of projections g, saidprojections being so spaced as to occupy positions intermediate thecontact members B pivotally secured to the faces of the block. The stris G are electrically connected by G which is secured and one of saidstrips is connected by a suitable wire G with the ground.

Slidably mounted in the T-shaped grooves a formed in the o posite facesofv the block A are blocks H an removably secured to the face of each ofsaid blocks is a metal plate 'hof conducting material. Carried by eachof the plates h is an arm h, to which the line wire of the circuit isadapted to be connected; a stud h which is normally arranged to beseated in the concave portion 1) of one of the contact members B andwhichis preferably tipped with platinum so as to insure a good contactwith said contact member; and a spring finger h which extends laterallytherefrom and is provided with a rearwardly bent portion, the free endof which is adapted to successively contact with the projections g onthe plate G adjacent thereto when the block H is shifted in the groovea. Journaled in the base of block A and positioned on opposite sidesthereof are a pair of spri'n actuated winding drums I upon each of whicis wound a cord or wire i the free ends of said cords or wires beingconnected to the blocks H which above described repeated.

of the fuses is ru tured, the spring actuated I drum I will quicizl ispermitted by the stops k and k projectl from the pinion K and thisdistance is su iii=1-,

I are slidably mounted in the grooves 11 formed in the block A. Carriedby each of the spring actuated drums I is a gear I which meshes governorarm K the ends of which are weighted and against which bears a spring KThe 0 eration of the automatic fuse block and lig tning arrester is asfollows: The blocks H are normally held at the tops of the grooves awith the platinum tipped studs 7L2 thereof engaging the concave portionsof the topmost contact members B. If now, an excessive current shouldstrike the line, it would pass through the arm h, the platinum tippedstud 7L2, the to most contact member B, the spring arm and to the fuse Ewhich would in consequence thereof be ruptured. As soon as the fuse E isruptured, the topmost member B will be released and will permit'thespring actuated drum 1 to draw the block H downwardly in the groove atuntil the platinum tipped stud h seats itself in the concave portionof'thenext contact member B, when the current will again be restored tothe line. Before the stud h contacts with the next contact member B,

however, the spring finger it will contact with one of the projections gon the plate G and thereby permit the excessive current on the line topass to the ground. Should the excessivecurrent still be on the line,when the stud k contacts with the next contact member B, the fuseconnected to said member'will be burnedout and the operation Immediatelyone y turn whatever dista' cient to bring the spring finger h" carriedby the block H in contact with one of the projections of the groundplate G. By the time that the'block A has traveled this distance,however, the stops it" and k are moved into engagement with the weightedgovernor arm; K and the rotation of the spring actuated drum is checkedso that the block H will be I rupturing the fuse and it is tov preventcurrents of this character from reaching the instrument thatil haveprovided the carbon plates D D heretofore described. When a current ofthis character passes through one of the fuses without rupturing thesame itwill jump from the top carbon plate with which the fuse is inelectrical connection through the leaf spring D, through the sheet ofmica alto the bottom carbon plate and from thence through the metallicplate C, with which the bottom carbon plate is in electrical connection,to the ground. -lhe line wire which is connected to' the movable blockhas sufficient slack therein to permit movement of the-block upon therupture of the fuses.

The block A and the part carried thereby are referably housed orinclosed by a casing a w rich is formed in two sections, provided withsuitable apertures which are designed to be engaged by bolts projectingfrom the block said sections being secured on said block by thumb nutsengaging the projecting ends of said bolt. Each of the sections of thecasing is provided with a longitudinal slot therein and marked on eachsection ad jacent said slot are figures corresponding to the number offuses on the block. Each of the sliding blocks H carries a pointer whichprojects through the slot before referred to and cooperates with thenumbers on the casing section to indicate the condition of the fuses onthe block.

In Fig. 7 of the drawing, I have shown a modified method of connectingthe line wires of the circuit to the block. In this form of myinvention, the sliding blocks H are made of conducting material as arealso the cables or cords "i which connect the same with the springactuated drums I, and said cables are connected with contact plates Icarried by the drums I and extending to the axles thereof. The axles ofthe drums I in this form of my invention project without the casing andhave threaded thereon binding screws t which constitute the means ofattachment for the line wires of the circuit.

While I have described the block as equipped with two sets of fuses, soas to pro tect both the lead and return wires to and from theinstrument, it is obvious that where only'one wire is used and theground is utilized as the return, only one side of the block need be soequi )ped.

I do not desire to limit myself to the pre cise form and constructionshown in the drawings, as it is obvious that many minor changes might bemade thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined'in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the character described, a block, a lurality'of fusible stripscarried by said bloc and adapted to be connected to one line of anelectr1c circuit, a movable contact member adapted to be connected tothe other line of said circuit and adapted to suecessively makeconnection through the fusible strips, and a ground plate positioned onsaid block and provided with a plurality of contact portions adapted tobe engaged by said movable contact member during the movement thereof,said contact portions being arranged intermediate said fusible strips.

2. In a device of the character described, a block, a plurality ofmovable contact members secured thereto, 2 metal plate secured to saidblock, a plurality of fuses connecting said movable contact members andsaid metal plate and serving to hold said contact members normallyagainst movement, a contact member slidably secured to said block andadapted to successively engage said movable contact members, and aplurality of ground contacts carried by said block intermediate saidmovable contact members and adapted to be sucessively engaged by saidslidable contact member during its travel from one to another of saidmovable cont-act members. I

3. In a device of the character described, a block provided with agroove therein, a plurality of contact members pivoted to said block andprovided with portions adapted to normally overlie the groove therein, aplurality of fuses connected to said contact members and serving to holdthe same in their normal position, a contact member slidably mounted inthe groove in said block and adapted to cooperate with said pivotedcontact members, a motor actuated drum carried by said block, and acable connecting said motor actuated drum and said slidably mountedcontact member.

4. In a device of the character described, a

block, a plurality of movable contact members secured thereto, aplurality of fuses connected to said contact members and serving tonormallyholdthe same against movement, a contact member slidably securedto said block and adapted to successively engage said movable contactmembers, a motor actuated drum carried by said block, and a cableconnecting said drum and said slidable contact member. 5. In a device ofthe character described, a block, a plurality of movable contact memberssecured thereto, a plurality of fusesconnected to said contact membersand serving to normally hold the same a ainst movement, a contact memberslidab y secured to said block and adapted to successively engage saidmovable contact members, a motor actuated drum carried by said block,acable connecting said drum and said slidable contact member, and agovernor for said motor actuated drum.

6. In a device of the character described, a block, a plurality ofmovable contact members secured thereto, a plurality of fuses connectedto said contact members and serving to normally hold the same againstmovemotor actuated drum, and a cable conecting said motor actuated drumand said slidably mounted contact member.

7. In a device of the character described, a block, a plurality ofmovable contact members secured thereto, a metal plate secured to saidblock, a plurality of fuses connecting said movable contact members andsaid metal plate and serving to hold said cont-act members normallyagainst movement, a ground plate carried by said block and provided witha plurality of contact ortions arranged intermediate the mova le contactmembers, and a movable contact block arranged to successively engagesaid movable contact members and the contact portions of said groundplate.

8. In a device of the character described, a block, a lurality of springarms ivoted to said bloc and provided at their orward ends with contactortions, a plurality of pins carried'by said block and arranged tosupport the opposite ends of said spring arms, a )lurality of fusescarried by the block an engaging said spring arms, 'and a movablecontact member arranged to successively engage the contact portions ofsaid spring arms.

9. In a device of the character described, a block, a carbon platecarried thereby and provided with a ground connection, a second carbonplate seated upon said first mentioned plate, a' metal spring secured tothe block and overlying the u per carbon late, said spring beingprovided with a stud and a fuse loo ed about the said stud and havingits en s adapted for connection with the line wires of a circuit.

10. In a device of the character described, a block, a luralit-y ofspring arms ivoted to said bloc and provided at their orward ends withcontact portions, means carried by the block. for;supporting the rearends of said spring arms, a plate carried by the block and adapted to beconnected to one of the line Wires of an electric circuit, a pluralityof taut fuses connecting said plate and the rear ends of said springarms, and a movable contact member arranged to suecessively engage thecontact portions of said spring arms.

11. In a device of the character described, a block, a spring armpivoted to said block and provided at its forward end with acontactportion, means carried by the block for supporting the rear end of the sring arm, a contact member carried by the lock, a taut fuse interposedbetween said contact mem her and t e rear end of said spring arm, abroken ground connection extending from the fuse, and a movable contactmember adapted to cooperate with the contact portion at the forward endof the s ring arm.

In testimony whereof affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES O. PROVVSE.

Witnesses:

JAs. BREATHITT, NELL CAYOE.

